Any time is a great time to plan and add native plants to your landscape. But the New Year adds a symbolic element of renewal, and winter is the perfect season to prepare for planting. For North Texans, the diversity of our native plants provides plentiful options for building a beautiful home landscape.
Below is a simple step-by-step guide to help beginners get started or a refresher for more experienced enthusiasts. This is not intended as a comprehensive listing, but a starting point complemented by additional resources for further information.
Native North Texas plants have existed here for thousands of years and have adapted to the conditions. So take the old horse racing advice of “horses for courses” – meaning most horses are best suited for a particular type of track and conditions. You should not plan on trying to transform your soil, moisture, and light conditions to suit a specific native plant. Instead, seek out native plants that match your conditions.
Step 1: Determine Your Goals
Plant selection is the “bright shiny thing” of native garden planning. We all want to dive into reviewing and selecting the native species we are attracted to based on their picture. But before jumping into plant selection, you need to first consider what you want from your native garden, such as:
- Attracting pollinators, like butterflies and bees
- Building a yard that supports local wildlife, i.e., birds
- Creating a shade garden
- Establishing a “pocket prairie”
By first clarifying your goals, you can help avoid impulse purchases and instead make the plant choices that best align with your objectives.
Step 2: Understand Your Site
A thriving native landscape begins with an understanding of your space. Even if you have lived at the address for years, take the time to walk your yard and not make assumptions about the conditions. Additionally, you should spend time observing your landscape throughout the day to see the changing conditions. During your walks, look closely at the following:
- Light Conditions: Determine if the areas designated for your garden are full sun (6+ hours), partial shade (4-6 hours), or full shade (less than 4 hours).
- Moisture Levels: Check your yard after rain to see what areas retain water and others that dry out quickly. In addition, determine if the area will have supplemental water from sprinklers.
- Soil Type: Native plants can usually tolerate a variety of soil types. Review your plants’ soil needs, but typically if you need to amend, often all that is necessary is adding some compost.
Gathering the above information will help you select the plant species that are best suited to your specific conditions.
Step 3: Draft Your Layout
Next, determine the size and location of your garden. A best practice is starting small and then expanding over time. Too often, beginners’ enthusiasm overwhelms practical considerations of time and effort.
Sketch, or if you are more inclined, mark your intended layout with a garden hose, twine, or other means to make a simple plan for your space. Some general layout ideas for your native plants include:
- Wildscaping
- Rewilding
- Perennial Beds
- Shade Garden
- Pocket Prairie
Step 4: Select Your Native Plants
Now, you get to choose your plants. When selecting them, keep the following general guidelines in mind:
- Match Plants to Your Conditions: Choose North Texas native species that best match your site’s light, soil, and moisture conditions.
- Size: One of the most formidable challenges is factoring in the size of the plants, not when you buy them, but the expected mature size. The recommendation is to err on the narrow side to create a more natural-looking overlap between plants than a regimented design.
- Diverse Plant Types: Your goals for the site will primarily determine the variety of plant types in your selection. When possible, attempt to include a mix of grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, groundcovers, vines, and / or trees to create a more dynamic and resilient ecosystem.
- Varieties – Seek a balance of avoiding including too many varieties but try to have more than one species. This provides you with some cushion if a particular plant ends up not being suited to your conditions. A general rule of thumb regarding the number of plants of each species is the “rule of three”.
Below are resources that you can utilize to find the plants best suited for your situation:
- Native Plant Database – Native Plant Society of Texas
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – The University of Texas at Austin
- Native Plant Resources – Collin County Chapter
- Recommended Reading – Native Plant Society of Texas
Step 5: Time Your Planting
Timing is essential for success when rejuvenating your landscape in North Texas. Here are some general guidelines:
- Plant native wildflower seeds in the late fall to early winter, ideally between mid-October and mid-January, to allow for cold stratification.
- Trees and shrubs should be planted in the cooler months, from late fall to early spring, when temperatures are moderate.
- Transplant seedlings or container plants in the spring after the risk of frost has passed and before the summer heat.
Step 6: Source Your Plants
Seek out native plants at local nurseries but understand your choices may be limited. Typically, the best source for native North Texas plants is local spring and fall native plant sales, such as the Heard Museum’s Native Plant Sale in McKinney. For native seeds, many companies offer a wide variety of native Texas seeds, including Native American Seed.
Step 7: Care for Your Plants
Lastly, some tips about ongoing care for your native plants:
- Water deeply and infrequently: Occasional deep watering encourages deep root growth, which helps plants to withstand drought. Most native plants only need assistance from supplemental watering in their first year or two.
- Mulch: Natural mulch materials help to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and protect plant roots.
- Fertilize Sparingly: Native plants do not require frequent and intense fertilizers.
- Patience: Keep top of mind, a common refrain about native plants: “The first year they sleep. The second year they creep. The third year they leap,”
With patience and care, your native yard will become a haven. Happy planting!
